Pebbles
by Staryday
Summary: Sam is kidnapped by monsters that eat children and must survive until his dad and brother can find him. Weechesters


**Title: Pebbles**

 **Rating: T mostly... maybe M because of character death?**

 **Warnings: Minor character death**

 **Pairings: None**

 **Summary: Sam is kidnapped by monsters that eat children and must survive until his dad and brother can find him. Weechesters**

 **Notes: I never state Sam's age in the story but I picture him to be around nine or ten. This is my first attempt at a horror fic so I hope you like it. Please remember to review!**

 **Pebbles**

Sam's head was throbbing painfully and he groaned as he slowly woke up. He felt like he had just gone three training rounds with his dad and his father hadn't pulled his punches. His chest was tight and his limbs sore. Sam forced himself to sit up on his hands and knees, slowly opening his eyes. He was in a small room, if it could be called that. It was more like a jail cell with bars and no window. The floor beneath his feet was concrete and smooth.

Sam stood on shaky legs, fighting off a wave of dizziness. He gently touched his hair and flinched as his fingers found a large lump. There was no blood though, and Sam was grateful for that. His other wounds were small, mostly scratches, along with a couple bruises. Overall he was lucky to be in such good shape.

The sound of scraping reached his ears and Sam tensed. He slowly walked to the bars, peering out into the dark. His eyes were quickly adjusting to the lack of light and he could make out another cell, identical to his, across the long hallway. There was a figure hunched over the floor, their back to the bars.

"Hello?" Sam called quietly.

The person didn't react, just kept scraping. Sam cleared his throat and tried again, a little louder.

"Hello?"

The person paused briefly before going back to their work. Sam didn't think they were much older than him, judging by the size.

"My name's Sam. Do you know where we are?"

There was a grunt and bitter voice answered. "Hell."

"Hell?" he repeated.

A scream suddenly echoed from down the hall. It was high pitched and made Sam's toes curl. It was cut off abruptly but Sam still shivered from the blood curling noise.

"Yup," the boy spoke quietly. "Hell."

"What was that?"

The boy ignored him, going back to his scraping, his movements faster than before. Sam frowned and padded his pockets. He pulled out his phone and sighed. No signal, of course. Not even enough to get an emergency text out. Sam left the phone on, just in case his dad could still somehow track the GPS on it. The light drew the other boy's attention and he sat back to look at Sam.

"Is that a phone?"

"Yeah. No signal though."

"Of course not, we're way below ground."

"Any idea how far?"

"No, but once I break through the cement I'll find out."

Sam wasn't sure what that meant. He leaned his long arms through the bars. "I'm Sam."

"Yeah, I heard you the first time."

Sam frowned at the attitude. "What's your name?"

"What's it matter? You're not going to be around long enough to use it."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The boy didn't answer, returning to his scraping. Sam frowned, trying to peer through the dark to see what was happening.

"What are you doing?"

"Digging."

"Digging?"

The boy growled in annoyance and stood, coming to stand before the bars of his cell. He was the same height as Sam with jet black hair. His clothes were torn and he was covered in bruises and dried blood. His eyes were hard and his face set as he looked Sam up and down.

"You're not like the other ones," he finally said.

"What other ones?"

"The other kids. They bring a new kid down every so often –I don't know how often, there's no way to tell time down here— and all those kids are always scared and crying for their mommies by now."

"I don't have a mother," Sam shrugged. "I've got a dad and older brother and they're both probably tearing the town apart looking for me."

The boy shrugged. "Whatever. They're not going to find you. No one ever does."

Sam glared. "You don't know my family. They're not like normal people."

"You're not the first to say that and you won't be the last."

The sound of a door opening echoed around them. The boy's eyes went wide and his breath quickened. He scrambled away from the bars and lay down on the ground.

"Lay down!" he hissed. "Pretend to be asleep if you know what's good for you!"

Sam quickly hurried to obey. He lay himself flat on the cold floor and closed his eyes. The sound of rattling chains surrounded him as something moved closer to his cell. Sam opened his eyes the barest amount, just enough so he could see what was happening.

A figure covered in rotting cloth was slowly lumbering past. Its breath rattled and hissed. The sound of chains was coming from the bundle it dragged. Sam's breath caught in his throat and he felt his heart freeze in terror.

The chained bundle was a girl.

She had bright red hair and was probably two years younger than Sam. Her eyes were open but lifeless. A line of blood trailed behind her. The creature opened a cell next to Sam's and tossed her inside. It turned and stopped in front of Sam's cell. The boy quickly closed his eyes and held his breath. His heart thundered widely until the creature moved away. Sam didn't dare move until he heard the door open and close again.

"Hey!" the boy's voice called from the dark. "Cathy! Cathy are you alive?"

Sam wasn't sure whether or not he was relieved or horrified when he heard a pained moan. The girl's arms had obviously been broken, judging by the backwards direction they were facing as she had been dragged.

"Pebbles! Did you get any pebbles?"

Cathy began to cry and the boy cursed.

"Come on, Cathy! ...Cathy?"

The girl's tears tapered off and her breathing slowly ceased. Silence surrounded them as Sam realized the girl had died. He felt his hands shake as he gripped the bars. His terrified eyes found the boy's, who looked just as frightened.

Sensing Sam's gaze, the boy locked eyes with him. He jerked back, frowning harshly and looking towards the ground. Without a word, he went back to his digging, his back to Sam. Scared, Sam pressed himself against the wall furthest away from the dead girl and silently called for his brother and father.

*!*!*

Sam must have fallen asleep at some point because the next thing he knew, he was fighting to wake up. The scraping sound was back and he blinked his eyes open. He pulled out his phone and discovered he'd been asleep for almost three hours. Putting the mobile back in his pocket, Sam slid closer to the bars.

"What are they?" he asked.

The boy seemed surprised by his voice as he jumped slightly. He glanced at Sam over his shoulder before focusing on his digging. After a minute, he answered.

"I don't know. Monsters."

"What do they do?"

"You saw Cathy. They eat us alive."

Sam shivered so hard it hurt. The image of the girl's dead eyes haunted him and he closed his eyes, forcing the picture away.

"How... how many?"

The digging slowed slightly. "I don't know. I've seen three other kids."

Why haven't they..." Sam trailed off, unable to bring himself to ask the full question. He swallowed. "Why haven't they come after you?"

"Oh they have." The boy's voice was barely above a whisper and Sam had to strain to hear it. "But I'm smarter than that. I figured out how to live. I'm not dying down here."

"You know how to fight them?" Sam asked eagerly.

"Shut up and leave me alone. I have to get back to digging."

Sam frowned, sitting on his knees as he grabbed the bars. "Look, we're both stuck down here. My dad and brother are searching for me right now and they'll find us. I would rather they found me alive."

The boy sat back, sending a mild glare at Sam. "That's what everyone says. Every kid they've brought down here. My family's looking for me. My mommy and daddy will find me. No one's showed up yet."

"My dad's a hunter, though," Sam insisted. "He's different."

"Just because your dad shoots Bambi doesn't mean he can fight monsters."

Sam growled to himself, annoyed with the boy's stuck up attitude. "He doesn't hunt Bambi, he hunts monsters. It's what my family does. We're monster hunters."

"Your dad hunts these things?" The boy scooted closer to his cell, staring at Sam with guarded curiosity.

Sam nodded. "I'm not really sure about all the details, I just started learning a few months ago. But we, me, my dad, and my brother, travel everywhere looking for monsters so we can kill them."

"Well you must not be very good if you ended up down here."

Sam glared. "You're a real ass, you know?"

The boy seemed surprised. "Sorry, I'm not trying to be but..." he shrugged, suddenly looking upset. "It's just hard." His eyes flickered to the cell where Cathy's body was. "It's hard to be nice when everyone..."

Sam's anger vanished. He looked at the boy sympathetically. "I'm sorry." He leaned forward. "But don't worry, it won't be for much longer. My dad and brother will find us and they'll _kill_ those things. We're going to survive this, I promise."

The boy stared at Sam with something akin to wonder. He suddenly jerked his head and frowned at the ground. His hand played with something in his pocket. He started to take whatever it was out but thought better of it and stopped.

"Lucas. My name's Lucas."

Sam smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Lucas. Don't worry, we're going to escape. We're going to survive."

Lucas glanced at him briefly before shrugging. He crawled back to his cell and the sounds of scraping filled the air once again.

*!*!*

"What are you digging?" Sam called as the hours past by.

Lucas shrugged. "Trying to dig a tunnel. If I can get through the cement I can dig out of here."

Sam tried to see into his cell but couldn't. It was too dark. "Have you made a lot of progress?"

"Not really."

Sam's heart fell at the dejected answer. He pulled out his phone and sighed. He knew he should stop checking it. The more he did, the quicker the battery would die. The light always stung his eyes too.

"What's the date?" Lucas asked suddenly.

Sam was startled for a moment by the unexpected question. "Oh, it's April 20."

Lucas turned away quickly but Sam caught the look of grief on his face.

"How long have you been down here?"

"They took me from my home on Easter."

Horrified, Sam leaned forward. "That was three weeks ago!"

Lucas nodded. "Yeah... it makes sense. They take a new kid every week."

Sam shivered at the thought. He pulled his jacket closer to himself. "Please, tell me how you fight them. I don't want to get caught off guard. I want to be prepared."

Lucas stopped digging and slowly crawled to the bars. He studied Sam for a long moment before shrugging. "I figured it out by accident. From what I can tell, these things don't have faces, just big mouths with lots of fangs. Right when they're about to..." his voice caught for just a moment, "...about to eat you, you throw a rock down their throat. It doesn't kill them but it does choke them and they can't eat until they get it out."

"A rock..." Sam repeated. He immediately began searching around himself. The ground was perfectly smooth.

"You won't find one over there," Lucas told him. "That used to be my cell. I grabbed them all already."

Dejected, Sam sighed and crossed his legs. He suddenly paused. "Wait, is that what you asked Cathy about? When you asked if she got any pebbles?"

Lucas nodded. "I told her to try and grab some if they came for her before me. Obviously she didn't get any."

It made Sam shiver, how cold Lucas was about the other girl's death. He supposed it was Lucas's way of protecting himself but it still disturbed Sam to no end.

A heavy door opening caught both their attentions. Lucas scrambled to the back of his cell and lay flat, feigning sleep. Sam quickly did the same. The sound of slowly shuffling feet met their ears and Sam held his breath. He felt himself beginning to panic. He didn't have a rock or pebble. If they took him now, he'd be defenseless.

 _Stay calm and don't lose your head_ , Dean's voice echoed in Sam's ears. _If you panic, you die, so don't freak out._

Easier for him to say, he wasn't about to be eaten alive by a monster. Still, Sam forced himself to breath evenly. Hyperventilating wasn't going to help him. He watched through slitted eyes as the creature stopped before Lucas's cell. There was a sound of something clattering before the creature moved to Sam's room. The young boy tried to push further back into the wall and held his breath, his hands shaking. He heard the clattering again and then the creature was shuffling away. Once the door opened and closed, Sam opened his eyes and sat up.

Lucas was already sitting near the bars again, shoving food into his mouth. Sam crawled forward, his stomach rumbling. He recoiled as he saw the plate of "food" left for him. It was rotted vegetables covered in bugs. He looked at Lucas, horrified.

Lucas merely shrugged, flicking the bugs from his food. "You'll eat it when you start to starve. Everything tastes like a four course meal when you haven't eaten in a week."

Sam wasn't convinced. He shied away from the rotten meal and pulled his legs to his chest. Lucas reached out through the bars.

"If you're not going to eat it, can I have it?"

Sam shrugged and pushed the plate across the narrow hallway. Lucas grabbed it and quickly ate.

"Aren't you worried about getting sick?"

Lucas barked out a short laugh. It was the first pleasant sound Sam had heard him make. "I'd rather die of food poisoning than get eaten."

With the food gone, Lucas scooted back to his usual place and the scraping sound filled the air once again.

*!*!*

When Sam woke up next his stomach was growling painfully. He was starting to regret not eating when he had the chance. He sniffed the air, his nose wrinkling. The smell of decay was starting to fill the small dungeon. Sam cast his eyes towards the cell where Cathy's body was and shivered.

"Don't worry, they'll come get her pretty soon," Lucas said, glancing over his shoulder. "Once the body starts to smell they come finish it off." He suddenly shook and closed his eyes. "I'm not sure what's worse. Hearing the screams or listening to the monsters eat."

Sam couldn't imagine anything being worse than Cathy's final scream. He didn't want to think about it.

"I need a pebble," he said. "Do you have any?"

Lucas froze. He turned to Sam, his eyes suspicious. "Why do you think I have one?"

Confused, Sam titled his head. "Because you're still alive. Please? I need to be prepared if they come for me."

" _When_ they come for you," Lucas corrected nastily. He grabbed his pocket. "Pebbles are life down here. I've only got four left."

"Please," Sam begged. "I'll try and grab more."

"That's what she said," Lucas jerked his head. "And look what happened. She died and I lost a pebble."

Frustrated, Sam sat back. He couldn't face these creatures unarmed. He would have loved to have his 9 millimeter with him but his dad only allowed him to have it while training. After he got out of here, Sam was going to make a strong case about allowing him to carry a gun at all times, just like Dean got to.

"I'm not her," Sam tried again. "I know how to fight."

Lucas stared at him thoughtfully for a moment before reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a single stone, about the size of Sam's thumb.

"Give me your jacket."

"What?"

"Give me your jacket and I'll give you my pebble."

Sam frowned. "Seriously?"

It was cold down in the dungeon, especially having to sit on the concrete floor. Sam was in better shape than Lucas. At least his clothes weren't torn and full of holes.

"Fine."

Sam slipped off his coat. The pebble was more valuable than the clothes. Sam balled his jacket up and carefully threw it across the hallway. Lucas grabbed it and pulled it on. He hugged the coat to him, reveling in the warmth.

Sam held out his hand. "Toss me the pebble."

Lucas hesitated. He looked at the rock to Sam's outstretched hand. Sam's felt his heart race.

"Come on," he said. "We had a deal. My jacket for your pebble."

Lucas stilled hesitated. Pebbles were life down here.

"Lucas!" Sam begged. "Please!"

The boy snapped out of his daze and tossed the pebble carefully to Sam. It skid across the floor and Sam snatched it up quickly. He glared at Lucas but the other boy was already scrambling back to his usual spot. The sound of scraping filled the air and Sam sighed, knowing Lucas wasn't going to talk anymore anytime soon.

*!*!*

"Sam! Sam!"

Sam was startled awake by someone calling his name. For a brief moment he thought it was Dean, that his brother had finally found him and he was about to be rescued. But it wasn't Dean. It was Lucas, and he looked scared.

"Sam wake up! They're coming!"

Sam sat up quickly, crawling to his feet.

"How do you know?"

"I heard the chains. You always hear chains before they come for you."

Sam listened and sure enough, he could hear chains rattling faintly. The sound was getting louder.

"Listen up!" Lucas snapped. Sam looked at him, his hands shaking as he gripped the bars. "They're gonna chain you up and take you to a small room with a fire. They're going to burn you and wherever they burn you is where they're going to start eating."

Sam clung to his every word, biting his lip to stop it from quivering in fear.

"This is the most important part. You have to be patient. You can't let yourself get scared and throw the pebble too soon. As soon as you feel their teeth on your skin, that's when you throw it down their throat. If you do it too soon, they'll just spit it out."

Sam nodded, feeling his body shake as the chains grew louder.

"Sam!"

Sam focused on Lucas, surprised to see the other boy was shaking too.

"Remember, don't throw it until you feel their teeth. And try and grab more. Try and grab more pebbles."

"Right," Sam whispered.

The heavy door at the end of the hall opened and the boys scrambled back from the bars. Sam lay down but Lucas didn't bother pretending to be asleep. He whimpered in the darkness.

 _Stay calm and don't lose your head_ , Dean's voice echoed in his mind. Sam tried to calm his breathing but it was difficult. He shaking so hard his body hurt.

The creature stopped before the two cells and Sam held his breath. Across from him, Lucas was doing the same. Sam reached into his pocket and clutched the pebble in his hand, taking comfort in his only weapon, no matter how pitiful a weapon it was. After a moment's debate, the creature turned and faced Sam's cage.

If Lucas released a breath of relief, Sam decided he wouldn't hold it against him. Terror filled his chest as the creature opened the cell. Sam clutched his rock so hard his nails left half moon circles in his palm. The creature reached for him and Sam lashed out with a scream.

The creature was unnaturally strong. Sam's punches and kicks didn't even phase it. He screamed as chains were clasped over his wrists. He aimed for the thing's throat and swung with his bound hands but missed as he was jerked forward. The creature easily dragged the fighting boy after him. Sam looked to Lucas but the other was sitting with his legs pulled to his chest, his face hidden in his knees and ears covered.

They reached the end of the hallway and the monster opened the heavy door with ease. It jerked Sam forward and threw him onto the ground, closing the door behind them. The room was small and circular with two doors, the one they had just come from, and another leading up to some stairs. A fireplace was built into the wall and a small fire was burning.

Sam's eyes stung from the dim light created by the fire. He squinted as he looked around the bare room. The creature grabbed his chains and tossed Sam close to the burning wood. Sam's breath came in short gasps, remembering Lucas's words.

 _They'll burn you first._

The creature reached into the fire, not bothered by the heat in the least. Sam tried to run but the chains tightened, preventing him from moving away. The monster pulled out a burning piece of wood and paused. After a moment of thought, it rested the flame on Sam's thigh.

Sam screamed. The fire burned his clothes and he struggled to get away in vain. The smell of chard flesh filled his nose, making him nauseous, and he screamed again. The creature tossed the wood back into the fire and forced the boy onto his back. Tears fell from Sam's eyes and his leg throbbed painfully.

The creature lowered its hood and Sam gasped. Lucas was right, the thing had no face. A large circular mouth took up the entire head. Rotted and flaky skin surrounded it. Slowly, the creature lowered itself down towards the burn on Sam's leg. It used its unnatural strength to pin him down. Sam clenched his fist, feeling the pebble still in his hand. He whimpered but forced himself to not move.

Warm breath ghosted over his burn, making it sting even more. Sam tensed, his whole body frozen. He waited, his breathing labored, until he felt it. A tiny prick on his burn. With a mighty roar, Sam kicked out, catching the creature by surprise. It fell back and Sam threw the pebble into its fanged mouth.

The creature roared in fury and smacked Sam so hard he saw stars. The boy was dazed for a moment, lying on the floor. His fingers clenched and rock and sand filled his fist. The door to the stairs flew open as a second creature came charging into the room. It paused for a moment before air pressed through the mouth in a hiss. Sam had the crazy thought that the creature was _laughing._

The monster that Sam had thrown a pebble at turned and kicked him hard in the stomach, making Sam gasp and groan. He curled into himself, holding his stomach. The other creature grabbed his chains and dragged him back to the dungeon. Sam didn't struggle as it threw him back into his cell and slammed the bars closed. After it was gone, Sam lay on the floor, breathing hard. His leg throbbed painfully and his stomach hurt.

"Did you get some?" Lucas called. "Did you get any pebbles?"

Sam blinked, his eyes still adjusting to the dark. He opened his hand and looked down. Two small rocks sat in his palm.

"Yeah," he whispered. "I got some."

He could just make out Lucas's grin in the dark. Clenching his fist, Sam closed his eyes and allowed darkness to take him.

*!*!*

Lucas was much chattier now that Sam had managed to survive his first encounter with the creatures. His cold and guarded disposition had warmed considerably. He told Sam that no other child had been able to survive like he had and he was glad, as he was tired of being alone.

"So you said once you have a big brother?" Lucas asked, the scraping sound of him digging was a constant noise now.

"Yeah, Dean. He's four years older than me. My dad's not around a lot, he's usually off hunting, and Dean's responsible for me."

"I have four siblings," Lucas offered. "Two older sisters and a young brother."

"That's only three."

"The fourth one isn't born yet, so I don't know what it is. I'm hoping for another brother. They're way cooler than girls."

Sam grinned. He leaned over and blew on his burn, soothing it.

"Your leg still hurt?" Lucas asked.

"Yeah but I'll deal."

"Try lying it flat on the ground. The cement is cold."

Sam did and felt instantly better. He lay on his stomach, watching Lucas dig. "How long have you been digging?"

"Since I got here. As soon as I saw the crack, I started at it."

The door opened unexpectedly and both boys froze. They quickly scrambled away from the bars and lay down, feigning sleep. Sam's heart beat widely and he grasped his pebbles, taking comfort in his only defense.

Both creatures shuffled past his cell and Sam panicked, worried they had gone for Lucas. He opened his eyes slightly but the creatures had passed his friend too. Confused, Sam listened as he heard one of the cages open. His eyes widened as he realized they were in the cage with Cathy's body. Sam had almost forgotten the body was there, having become accustomed to the smell of decay.

There was a silence before a strange squelching noise reached his ears. Sam frowned as he listened. Slurping accompanied the squishy noise and Sam's stomach gave a violent lurch as he realized what he was hearing.

The creatures were eating the little girl's body.

Feeling bile rise in his throat, Sam curled into a ball and forced it down. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and covered his ears. He wanted desperately to hum to drown out the horrific sounds but was worried that would draw attention to himself. Instead, Sam bit his lip and began counting loudly in his head. It was a trick Lucas had told him he used. Counting was easy and gave you something to focus on other than what was happening around you.

The sound of slurping made Sam nearly groan. He kept counting, pressing his hands tighter over his ears. He made it to five hundred before finally realizing he couldn't hear the chewing anymore. Slowly, the boy uncurled. He took his hands from his ears but everything was silent. He sat up and nearly jumped from his skin when the sound of scraping reached him.

Lucas was back at it, his back to Sam. Sam scooted forward and his friend's quiet voice reached him.

"1001, 1002, 1003, 1004..."

Pulling his legs to his chest, Sam buried his face in his knees and cried.

*!*!*

The next time the creatures came, they went for Lucas. The young boy didn't fight as they chained him. Sam watched, feeling empty and useless. He ran to the bars of his cell after the door had closed, staring down into the darkness. It felt like hours before he heard Lucas scream. His hands gripped the bars tighter and he bit his lip, _praying_ his friend was going to survive.

Sam began to count to himself, feeling his panic rise as he counted higher and higher. How long did it take for the creature to try to eat them? It felt like moments to Sam when he had been in the room. Was Lucas okay? Was he going to survive? Sam didn't want to be alone. He really didn't. This was place was horrifying enough, it would be impossible to keep his sanity without Lucas around.

Finally, the sound of roaring reached his ears. Sam nearly fell to his knees with relief. It wasn't long after that that Lucas was dragged back in. His eyes were glazed and his head bleeding. Sam crawled away from his bars as the creature threw Lucas back into his cage. It shuffled out and Sam scrambled forward.

"Lucas?"

"M'alright..." Lucas slurred.

"What happened? What took so long?"

"They're getting smart," Lucas whispered, his voice defeated. "It took away my pebbles before trying to eat me."

Sam gasped. "How'd you survive then?"

Lucas's smile was bitter and without humor. "They're not that smart. They left the pebbles on the ground next to me so I just had to fight a little harder than normal."

His friend turned empty eyes to him.

"Sam, I don't think we're getting out of this alive."

Sam bit his lip. "We will, Lucas! Don't give up now! I still believe my dad and brother are searching for me. Please, don't give up!"

Lucas turned away and closed his eyes. With a frustrated yell, Sam kicked the bars of his cage before falling to the floor and hiding his face.

*!*!*

Sam stared at his phone for a long time before finally giving in to the desire to press a button and light the screen up. It read four thirty am April twenty-fifth. He had been down in the dungeon for five days and his phone was nearly dead. The battery light was blinking an angry red, warning him it was about to quit. Sam could only hope his brother and dad had been able to trace the cell. Though he very much doubted it. They would have come to his rescue already if they had.

Knowing it was useless, Sam turned his phone and typed out a message, addressing it to Dean and John. _I love you. I'm sorry for running off. I love you._

He sent the message knowing the odds of it getting through were next to none. Still, he hoped if he didn't make it out of here alive his family would get the text. He didn't want Dean to blame himself for losing Sam or John to go even further off the deep end. It was his own fault he had gotten kidnapped. Sam had snuck out in the middle of the night, wanting to prove to his family he could be helpful, that he was a hunter too.

Guess he was wrong about that.

Sam pocketed his phone and glanced over to Lucas's cell. His friend was scraping away, just like always. The sound had become a source of comfort to Sam. It was nice to know that someone was with him and that they wanted to escape just as much as he did.

"So why do you think the things don't just kill us and eat our bodies?" Sam suddenly asked.

Lucas stopped in his scraping. "I've always wondered about that," he admitted. "I think they like us better alive or something."

"They're not very smart," Sam mused. "If they were, they would throw our pebbles away before trying to eat us."

"Sam..." Lucas sighed. "Please stop jinxing us."

"Oh, sorry."

The boys fell quiet and eventually Lucas went back to his scraping. Sam closed his eyes and was just about to fall asleep when a bang startled him. He and Lucas scrambled to the back of their cages and lay down as the door opened and one of the creatures shuffled in. It dragged a young girl, who was crying loudly, and threw her into the cell where Cathy used to be.

"Please, please let me go!" she whimpered. Her voice was higher pitched and a little on the squeaky side. Sam could hear her sniffling.

The creature ignored the girl and shuffled away. Once it was gone, Sam crawled to the bars of his cage and could see Lucas do the same.

"Hello?" Sam called.

The girl's tears stopped. "H-hello? I-is someone there?"

"My name's Sam. What's yours?"

"T-Tracy. Where are we? What are those things?"

"Monsters," Lucas answered bitterly.

"Who are you?"

"That's Lucas," Sam replied when Lucas failed to answer the girl. He frowned unhappily at his friend who crawled away from the bars. "He's a little standoffish."

"There's no point talking to her, Sam," Lucas muttered. "She's not going to make it. She's too soft. Just like Cathy."

Tracy suddenly screamed, startling both boys. Sam could hear her scrambling in her cell.

"There are _bones_ in here!"

"Meet Cathy," Lucas grumbled.

"Shut up Lucas!" Sam snapped. "Tracy, ignore the bones. They can't hurt you. Look over here."

Sam stuck his hand out through the bars and waved. He couldn't see Tracy from where he was but he saw when she held out her arm too.

"Hi."

"Hi." Her voice was quieter and little less panicked. "Where are we?"

"Underground somewhere," Sam answered. "The creatures brought us here and threw us in these cages, just like you."

"Why?"

Lucas answered, his voice cold. "To eat us."

Tracy gasped and Sam glared at him. The other boy just shrugged. It was the truth, after all.

"What do you mean eat us?" Tracy exclaimed, her voice on the verge of panic. "That's not true! You're just trying to scare me!"

Lucas rolled his eyes. "Right, because this isn't scary enough already."

"He's telling the truth, Tracy," Sam sighed. He would have liked to break the news to the girl a little more gently. "Whatever these things are, they eat kids."

Tracy was crying again. "No! No that's not real! You're just like my sisters, you're telling me lies to scare me!"

"Tracy I'm not..."

"Shut up!" Tracy's voice was full of fear. "Shut up, you liars!"

She dissolved into tears and Sam sighed, letting the girl be. Hopefully when she was done crying he would be able to talk to her and explain things properly.

"She's not going to make it," Lucas muttered.

"Shut up, Lucas."

Sam closed his eyes, the sounds of Tracy crying and Lucas digging lulling him into a restless sleep.

*!*!*

Sam woke up to the sound of the door opening. He scrambled to the back of his cage on instinct and lay down. He held completely still as his cell was open and a plate of food was dropped into it. Once the creatures were gone, Sam crawled forward and grabbed the food, flicking the bugs off. Lucas had been right; he was willing to eat anything after starving for days. Across from him, Lucas was doing the same.

"Tracy?" Sam called.

The girl answered with a sniff. "What is this?"

"It's what they feed us," Sam explained. "I know it's disgusting but it's all we get."

Tracy sniffed and Lucas leaned forward. "If you're not going to eat it, slide it this way."

The girl hesitated before doing as he asked. Lucas flicked the maggots from the plate and ripped the food in two, sliding the rest over to Sam. Sam grabbed it and ate quickly, not allowing himself to think about what he was consuming. Once he was done, he scooted closer to his bars.

"How you doing, Tracy?"

"Cold," the girl answered miserably. "And scared. I want my mommy."

"Don't worry, we're working on a way to escape," Sam tried to sound more confident than he was. "Lucas is digging us a way out of here."

"Really?"

Lucas shrugged. "I'm trying."

"Tracy, are feeling a little better now? Can I explain what's going to happen?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean we weren't lying when we said these creatures eat kids. They're going to try and eat you but Lucas and I know how to stop them."

Tracy was starting to cry again but she answered Sam. "Okay, tell me what to do."

Slowly, Sam explained what the creatures would do and how to stop them. Tracy was full out sobbing by the time he finished. He waited patiently while the girl gathered herself.

"Tracy, I want you to repeat all that back to me," Sam ordered. "I need to know you understood everything."

The girl hiccuped loudly. "Wh-when they come, they'll b-burn me in the pl-place where they're going..." she trailed off, sobbing.

"Tracy. Keep talking."

"They'll burn me where they're going to start e-eating me. I have to—to wait until I feel their teeth..." she hiccuped again and coughed. "Un-until I feel their teeth biting me. When I do, I throw the rock in their mouth and choke them."

"That's good," Sam encouraged. "Just keep repeating that to yourself so you know really good what to do."

"Is—is it going to hurt?"

Sam felt his heart go out to the girl. "Yeah, it's going to hurt, a lot. But you have to be strong. If you want to see your mommy again, you have to be brave. Okay?"

Tracy didn't answer, dissolving into tears one more time. When she was finally done, she hiccuped and spoke nervously.

"I don't have any pebbles."

"Lucas, toss her one of yours. I can't see her from here."

"What?" Lucas exclaimed. "No way! I've only got five left!"

"Come on, Lucas!" Sam snapped. "She needs to defend herself."

"No. Pebbles are life down here. I made the mistake of giving one to Cathy, I'm not wasting one on her. She's not going to make it."

Tracy began to sob quietly. "Please?" she begged. "Please don't let me die."

"No," Lucas snapped angrily. "I don't want to die either!"

"Stop it!" Sam ordered. "I'll give you one of mine."

Lucas eyed him suspiciously.

"I'll give you one of mine. Just toss her yours and I'll toss you mine."

"Give me yours first."

Sam rolled his eyes and pulled one of his pebbles from his pocket. He skid it across the floor and Lucas snatched it up.

"Now throw her one."

With a glare at the girl, Lucas did as asked. Tracy's hands shot out and grabbed the small rock up.

"Don't waste it," Lucas ordered.

Tracy didn't answer and all the kids fell silent, waiting fearfully for the inevitable.

*!*!*

It wasn't long before a creature came. All three children huddled into the back of their cages, hoping they wouldn't be chosen. Sam watched with fearful eyes as the creature stood before Lucas's cage. It seemed thoughtful for a moment before turning and opening the bars to Tracy's cell. The girl screamed and fought as it chained her.

Throwing caution to the wind, Sam hurled himself into the bars. He could see Tracy being dragged on her stomach to the heavy door.

"Remember the pebble!" he yelled. "Tracy! Don't forget what I told you! You can do it!"

The door slammed shut, cutting off the girl's screams. Lucas and Sam sat at their bars, their eyes glued to the door in the distance. Sam felt his heart pounding as he strained his ears for any sound or sign that the girl was fighting back. Tracy's pained screamed filled the air and Sam flinched, his hands tightening around the bars.

"That's the burning," Lucas whispered. "She's got to be patient, she's got to..."

They heard a roar and Sam felt his heart jump into his throat. She had done it! She had managed to throw the pebble into the creature's mouth and it was roaring with anger. Lucas however, sighed and shook his head, crawling away from the bars.

"Too soon. She threw it too soon."

A moment later Tracy's screams echoed around them, louder and more terrified than ever before. Sam flinched violently when he heard a cracking sound and the girl's voice nearly shattered his eardrums as she screeched. It was cut off abruptly and heavy silence surrounded them. With shaking hands, Sam crawled away from the bars. He sat still, straining his ears for any sound that Tracy was still alive.

Lucas scraping the ground was all Sam heard.

*!*!*

Sam wasn't sure how long he'd been down in the dungeon with Lucas. His phone had died, leaving no way for him to track time. The creatures had come for him and Lucas two more times. Each time it got harder and harder to fight back. The only thing keeping them alive now was the fact that the creatures had such low intelligence. They figured out to take the pebbles away from the boys but didn't know enough to throw them into the fire where they couldn't get them back.

Lucas was scraping at the concrete again. Sam was leaning against the wall, his eyes blank as he stared at nothing. They didn't talk much anymore, both starting to lose hope of getting out of the dungeon alive. Lucas was down to two pebbles. Sam only had only one.

The heavy door opened and Sam groaned. He barely had the strength to move to the back of his cell and pretend to sleep. One of the creatures shuffled in and stopped before Sam's bars. It opened them and Sam wanted to give in to the desire to cry. He didn't have the strength to fight back anymore. He was so hungry and sore and tired. His body ached and his heart was heavy with depression. He couldn't imagine how Lucas had managed to keep going for so long. Sam was ready to give up.

The creature grabbed him but, to Sam's surprise, didn't chain his hands. Instead it dragged him to Lucas's cell and opened it, tossing him inside. Sam stumbled in surprise and looked over his shoulder as the bars were shut and the creature shuffled away.

"What?" he whispered.

"We're must be getting another kid," Lucas said. "They shuffle the cells sometimes when they get a new prisoner."

Sam's heart sank at the thought of another child like them being dragged into this Hell. He couldn't bare the thought of having to watch another person like Tracy get killed.

Sam turned to Lucas and smiled slightly. This was the first time he had been next to his friend. Lucas was dangerously skinny but Sam suspected he probably was too. Up close, Sam could see his friend had blue eyes and that his clothes were practically rags.

"Nice to meet you," Sam joked, holding out a hand.

Lucas rolled his eyes and shook it. He moved over to his usual spot and Sam felt a thrill of hope. Now that they were in the same cell, he could help dig. Maybe with two of them, they would have a chance to escape.

"Where's your hole?" Sam asked eagerly. "I can help dig."

Lucas looked up surprised, as if the thought hadn't occurred to him. He grinned, the first time Sam had ever seen him do so.

"Yeah! We can dig together!"

Lucas moved to his hole and pointed. Sam gasped, his eyes widening. Lucas's fingers were completely ruined. The nails and skin were gone and his fingers had been whittled nearly to the bone. They were green-ish black from what Sam could tell was a bad infection. On the floor was a very small groove in the cement. If Lucas hadn't been pointing right at it, Sam would have never seen it.

Tears suddenly spilled from his eyes as Sam stared at the spot that marked his friend's insanity.

"Oh Lucas..."

*!*!*

Lucas and Sam huddled together as the creatures brought in a new victim. They curled around each other and waited until the monster left before moving forward. The person's back was to them and they weren't moving.

"He's old," Lucas mumbled. "I've never seen someone as old as him before."

The heavy door kicked open and Sam and Lucas scrambled back. The boy in the cage groaned as the noise roused him.

"Why are they back so soon?" Sam whispered.

"There's never been more than two," Lucas answered fearfully.

The creatures came for their cage. One of them grabbed Lucas and pinned him to the ground, ignoring his kicking and screaming. The other hit Sam around the head, knocking him down. It grabbed Sam's hands, putting chains on them.

"No!" Lucas shouted, fighting back. There would be no way Sam could fight off both creatures at once. "No, no _please_ don't! Don't take Sam! Take the other kid! Don't take my friend!"

Sam reached out for his friend and grasped his hand. Before they could be pulled apart, Lucas reached into his pocket and shoved all his pebbles into Sam's grasp. Sam's eyes widened as he clutched the stones and was dragged away. He understood. Down here, pebbles were life. Lucas was tired of this. He was tired of fighting. If Sam were honest, he was too.

As he stumbled down the hall between the two creatures, Sam's hold on the pebbles slackened. Maybe Lucas had the right idea. Maybe he should just let go of the pebbles. He was so sick of fighting. There wasn't any point. They were never going to escape and death would be preferable to the miserable existence that had become their life.

Just as Sam was about to let the pebbles fall, a familiar voice called out to him. For a moment, Sam was positive he was hearing things. His mind was playing tricks, it had to be.

"Sammy!"

The young boy looked over his shoulder to see Dean's face pressed against the bars, his hand reaching out for him. Sam could only stare with wide eyes as the heavy door slammed in his face.

*!*!*

Dean cursed, shaking the bars to his cage. He couldn't believe it. After two weeks of searching he had finally found his little brother only to watch him get dragged off by damn monsters. He had to get out of this cage and rescue him. The locator in his jacket was flashing so Dean at least knew his father was following him.

"Damn it!" he screamed. "I swear you hurt my brother and I'll make you wish you were dead!"

"Are you Dean?"

Dean was surprised when someone spoke. He hadn't noticed the other little boy in the cage. He was wearing Sammy's jacket and staring at Dean with wide eyes.

"Yeah, who are you?"

"Lucas. Sam's told me all about you. I can't believe you actually came. No one ever comes."

"Of course I did," Dean snapped. "Sammy's my little brother. I'll always come for him."

A scream pierced the darkness and Dean's blood ran cold. He shook the bars harder.

"Don't worry," Lucas said. "I gave him all my pebbles. He'll survive."

Dean had no idea what the crazy kid was talking about. He ignored him and continued to shake the bars as hard as he could.

*!*!*

Sam screamed as the fire burned his arm and leg. Both of the creature were holding him down but Sam wasn't going to give up. His big brother had been _right_ _there_! That meant his father wasn't far behind and if they were here, then it was only a matter of time before he and Lucas would be saved. Sam just had to keep fighting until then.

The fire ate away at his skin, causing blisters to appear. Sam screamed and struggled. The pebbles were a few feet away and Sam eyed them desperately. He forced himself to stop struggling and remain still. The creatures were at their weakest right before they fed.

They both descended at the same time and Sam tensed. As soon as he felt a set of teeth bite into his arm, Sam jerked. He shoved one of them and grabbed the pebbles just as the other bit into his leg. Sam screeched as his leg exploded with pain. Blood squirted everywhere as the creature ripped its head back, tearing the flesh nearly to the bone.

Blind with pain, Sam threw his pebbles at the creatures. By sheer dumb luck, one pebble lodged itself into the throat of one of the creatures. The other one roared and charged at the boy. Sam's heart stopped in his chest. He was out of pebbles. There was nothing he could do anymore.

"I'm sorry, Dean," he whispered.

The creature tackled him and Sam threw his hands up defensively. Just as the thing descended a loud bang echoed in the small room. The creature roared and released Sam, letting the boy fall to the floor. Three more bangs echoed and the monster was thrown back into the wall. A final fourth bang, and the thing fell down dead. Sam turned his head, his eyes glazed as he stared at the dead creature.

The shooting started again and Sam turned to see his father standing over the second creature, unloading round after round into the thing's face. John's face was a mask of fury as he fired a few more rounds than necessary. Once he was satisfied the thing wasn't getting up again, he turned to his son.

John's breath caught in his throat. Sam was so skinny his ribs were clearly visible through his ruined clothing. His leg was torn to shreds and bleeding profusely. Bruises and cuts covered his body as he stared at John with empty eyes.

"Sammy," John whispered.

Immediately the man knelt down and removed his jacket, wrapping it tightly around Sam's leg. Sam couldn't speak as he watched his father work. He heard John mutter something about shock but didn't understand. Was this really his father? Was he really saved?

"Come on, Sammy," John reached down and lifted his son into his arms. "Dean!"

"Here!" Dean's voice came back from behind a large door. John had difficulty opening it while carrying Sam but managed to shove it open with his shoulder. He hurried down the narrow hallway until he reached the cell.

"Stand back," John ordered.

Dean hurried backwards and John shot the bars on the side, breaking them enough for Dean to squeeze through. The teen quickly pointed behind John.

"There's another kid trapped."

John turned to see a little boy barely in better shape than Sammy standing there. He lifted his shotgun.

"Move back," he ordered.

The boy complied and covered his ears as John fired. He hurried forward and squeezed free from the bars, staring at John in wonder.

"Dean, grab this kid and let's get out of here. We need to get these two to a hospital."

Dean gently took Lucas's arm and dragged him after John. Lucas stared with wide eyes at the dead bodies of the creatures that had tormented him for so long. Dean continued to pull him as they hurried up winding stairs. When they reached the top, Dean released Lucas and crawled up a ladder, shoving open a hatch.

Sunlight poured through and Lucas cried out, covering his eyes and stumbling back. It had been so long since he'd the seen the sun he almost forgot how warm it was.

"Dean, take Sammy!" John ordered.

Dean climbed up the ladder and reached down, taking Sam from his father's hold. Lucas felt himself picked up in strong arms and hefted into the air. He kept his eyes closed. Even when squeezed shut the light burned them after so long of being in the darkness. An unfamiliar feeling spread over his skin and Lucas slowly realized it was warmth. The sun was warm.

He was being carried over uneven ground quickly. He heard a car door open and then felt himself set on a hard seat. A second later someone's body sat next to him and a head was placed in his lap. Lucas managed to open his eyes the tiniest bit to see Sam's pale face on his legs. He rested a hand in his hair as the car sped away.

A hand came up and grasped his and Sam's voice spoke.

"See Lucas? Told you they'd come."

Lucas smiled.

*!*!*

Sam and Lucas shared a room in the hospital. They wanted to stay close together, feeling reassured by the other's presences. Both boys were wearing dark sunglasses and would have to continue to do so until their eyes were fully healed. Both were on heavy antibiotics and couldn't eat solid food yet. Lucas's hand was wrapped up tightly but the doctors had already told him that his fingers would always be deformed from his weeks of "digging."

The boys didn't care though. They were just happy to be alive. Dean didn't leave Sam's side and Sam was perfectly okay with that. John was also a constant presence in the hospital room and only left when the doctors beckoned.

Currently, Dean was trying to convince both boys to drink their high in protein and vitamins milkshakes.

"Come on Sammy, Lucas is beating you. He's already taken three sips!"

Sam groaned and took another drink, making a face.

"Alright, we're tied!" Dean announced. "So which one of you is going to be the winner? Come, one more sip!"

"You said that three sips ago," Lucas complained. He took a deep breath and took a large gulp. Sam plugged his nose and did the same.

"Okay, good enough," Dean subsided. "Good job you two."

The boys gratefully set their drinks aside and lay back on Sam's bed. The doctor walked in with John and smiled at them. She was a kind lady with long brown hair and a sweet smile.

"And how are my favorite patients?" she asked.

"They drank half their milkshakes," Dean reported.

"Excellent!" Doctor Mays said. "You boys are making wonderful progress."

"When can we leave?" Sam asked. He wasn't a big fan of hospitals.

"Tired of my company already?" Mays teased.

"You need to stay awhile longer," John told his son. "Your leg still needs to heal."

"And I'm afraid we can't let you leave until you start eating solid foods. So you'll just be stuck with me a while longer." She winked and Sam blushed. Dean nudged him with his elbow and waggled his eyebrows, making Sam huff and cross his arms in embarrassment.

A knock at the door drew their attention and a couple poked their heads in. Both had dark hair and blue eyes.

"Excuse me we're looking for..." the woman stopped mid sentence. She gasped loudly.

"Oh my God, Lucas?"

"Mamma!" Lucas shouted. He jumped to his feet and ran to his mother, who fell to her knees.

"Lucas!" she cried. "Oh my baby! My sweet, precious baby!"

The woman cried loudly as she buried her face into his hair.

"Mommy!" Lucas cried. "Daddy!"

Lucas's father knelt down and wrapped his son and wife into a hug, crying as well. Lucas let go of his mother long enough to grab his father around the neck. The man stood, clutching him close. Next to them, Dr. Mays watched the scene, tears in her eyes.

"Oh baby we thought we lost you."

Lucas's mother turned to John. "I'm Alisa. This is my husband Richard. Are you John Winchester?"

John nodded and stood, holding out his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Alisa ignored the hand and threw herself into John's arms. Awkwardly, John patted her back.

"The police told us you saved our son. Thank you," she said, pulling away, tears falling from her eyes. "Thank you for my child."

Richard held out a hand and John shook it. "Words can't describe..." his voice caught.

"I understand," John nodded. He looked down at his boys, who were smiling widely. "Believe me, I understand."

Lucas wiggled in his father's hold. "Mom! Dad! This is Sam! He's my new best friend. And Dean too. He's my honorary big brother."

"Honorary brother?" Alisa repeated with a smile. She couldn't help herself and hugged her son once again before turning to Sam and Dean. "It's a pleasure to meet you Sam, Dean."

"You too ma'am," Sam muttered shyly.

Dean nudged him. "Look at you, charming all the older ladies."

Sam flushed. "Shut up, Dean!"

The room laughed as Lucas's parents hugged him once again. Sam grinned, beyond happy that his friend was home. He leaned over to rest his head on Dean's shoulder and sighed happily when Dean wrapped an arm around him.

"Welcome home, Sammy," Dean whispered.

Sam smiled.

 **A/N: The ending and beginning aren't the best but I wanted to practice writing horror stuff so I didn't work too hard them. I also didn't focus a lot on physical descriptions because I didn't feel they were that necessary.**

 **Well let me know what you think! Remember, reviews, like pebbles, are life. ;)**


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